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Raymond Jaravaza: Showbiz Correspondent
MISS Carnival Zimbabwe organisers will next week rebrand the beauty pageant to give it a clean image and make it more appealing to the public. The pageant’s patron — Barbara Mzembi — said the decision to rebrand the beauty pageant was aimed at bringing back its lost glory.
“We’re rebranding Miss Carnival and calling it Miss Tourism Zimbabwe because we’ve realised that the term ‘Miss Carnival’ is being misconstrued and associated with inappropriate dressing of the contestants’ by the public.
“We’ve noticed that there’s a gap between the implications of a ‘carnival’ and the cultural beliefs in Zimbabwe. The name ‘Miss Carnival’ did not really represent the goal of the pageant, which is to find a true tourism ambassador for Zimbabwe,” said Mzembi.
She said the pageant, which was not held last year due to financial constraints, would be re-launched next week Tuesday at Meikles Hotel in Harare.
Mzembi said the Miss Tourism Zimbabwe pageant would be open to all aspiring contestants and not restricted to the stereotyped slim and tall beauties.
“Although beauty and appearance are key factors, Miss Tourism Zimbabwe contestants do not necessarily have to be tall and slim. All races, backgrounds and shapes are welcome. Our main focus is their ability to represent our beautiful country to the world,” she said.
The incumbent Miss Carnival is Chengetai Kanonhuwa who was made the face of Zimbabwe’s tourism in line with an agreement between the Miss Zimbabwe Trust and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) that specified that the Miss Zimbabwe first princess would automatically become Miss Carnival. This arrangement was made last year after the ZTA stopped bankrolling Miss Carnival because of lack of funds.
Kanonhuwa represented Zimbabwe at the Miss Tourism International in Malaysia on New Year’s Eve competing with 70 other beauties from around the world.
The inaugural Miss Tourism International was held in Malaysia in 1994 under the leadership of the president and franchise owner Tan Sri Datuk Danny Ooi. The global pageant, that seeks to promote tourism, now has a mark in more than 70 countries.
Online Reporter